Billboard Painter Still Making an Impact
Tasty Ad had the privilege to meet up with Ron Sweeney (an old school billboard artist) and asked him a few questions while he was painting a mural “There’s Only One Cookeville” for Roland Digital Media. Ron painted the mural by sketching it out on the wall, not using any patterns.
Question: How long have you been painting billboards?
Answer: Since 1977
Question: What was the first billboard your painted?
Answer: A cheeseburger ad for BM Dairy Freeze in Dover, TN. I was at Seay Signs at the time.
Question: What is your most memorable billboard?
Answer: Cool Cigarette ads because I had to paint an 80ft x 20ft billboard with hang ropes, and with no harness. There was only a 20-inch walkboard to stand on.
There was a great mural that I did for W. Ford Baptist Church of the last supper that took 3 months to finish. It is still at the church today. (see below)
Question: What do you think about the billboard industries now compared to how it used to be?
Answer: Cut and Paste
Below are some pictures of Ron working on the mural. Dalton from Roland Digital Media was also assisting with the mural painting.
The finished 10’x20′ mural… completed in 1 day.
Below are some of Ron Sweeney’s hand-painted billboards
